Aubergine Cooked with Crushed Mustard Seeds and Yoghurt
This quick-cooking dish from eastern India uses three ingredients that are very typical of Bengali cooking – mustard oil, panchphoran and crushed black mustard seeds.
Ingredients
- 450 –675g 1–1½lb aubergine
- 1½ tablespoon whole black mustard seeds
- teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 7 tablespoons mustard oil or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon panchphoran
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 250 ml 8fl oz natural yoghurt
- teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground cardamom seeds
Instructions
- Step One Discard the stem end of the aubergine and dice the aubergine into 2.5cm (1in) cubes.
- Step Two Grind the mustard seeds lightly in a coffee grinder and then empty into a bowl. Add the cayenne and 250ml (8fl oz) water. Mix and set aside.
- Step Three Heat the oil in a 30cm (12in) frying or sauté pan over a medium–high heat. When hot, put in the panchphoran. Stir the spices once. Immediately add the mustard seed mixture, the cubed aubergine and 1 teaspoon salt. Keep stirring and cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add another 250ml (8fl oz) of water, cover, and turn the heat to low. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes or until the aubergine pieces are quite tender. Remove the cover and turn up the heat to boil off about half the liquid.
- Step Four Just before serving, beat the yoghurt and ½ teaspoon salt with a fork until it becomes a smooth paste and pour over the aubergine. Heat through, but do not bring to the boil. Sprinkle black pepper and ground cardamom over the aubergine, stir and serve at once.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Panchphoran is a Bengali spice mixture consisting of fennel seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and kalongi (nigella seeds) mixed in equal proportion.